Congratulations to our Flash Fiction Contest Winners!

First place was awarded to Jesse Oates for “The Book.” The Book, an interesting and quick tale about people and their unique relationships with books, was chosen as the winner for its well-crafted realism and descriptive language. Oates received a $150.00 University Book store gift certificate.

Second place was awarded to Eric Spivey for “Shards.” Spivey received a $100.00 University Book Store gift certificate.

Third place was awarded to Matt Paden for “Partisan Extremis.” Paden received a $50.00 University Book Store gift certificate.

This was the second annual Flash Fiction Contest sponsored by the Belk Library and Information Commons.

In celebration of National Library Week, Belk Library is sponsoring a "Food for Fines" drive beginning April 10 at 7:30 am until April 17 at 6 pm.

Starting Tuesday, April 10 we will be accepting one canned food item for every $1.00 (or partial part of a $1.00) owed on fines up to $15.00. NOTE: Fines that have already been sent to Student Accounts are not eligible for this offer. Canned goods cannot be credited toward lost book charges.

Here's what you do:

If you have an overdue fine at the library, bring one can of nonperishable food to the Main Circulation Desk.Tell the staff member that you are going to pay your fines with food. You will be assessed one can of food per $1.00 (or part of a $1.00) of fines up to a total of $15.00.Your account will be cleared up to $15.00. Ask for a receipt.

Distance Education students may participate too, by donating food to a charity of their choosing. Simply email Geri Purpur (purpurgm@appstate.edu) with your name, the name of the charity, and the amount donated. The subject line should read: Food for Fines.

It's that simple! Even if you don't owe fines, we will accept canned foods for donation.

Belk Library is launching our new Pinterest site -- just in time to celebrate the upcoming National Library Week (April 8 – 14). Pinterest is one of the fastest growing social networking sites around today. It combines the connectivity of Facebook with the capability of “bookmarking” all wrapped in beautiful visual imagery. “Pinning” on Pinterest is like having a room full of bulletin boards--all on different subjects--where the user can “pin” pictures, links to websites, recipes, posters, etc. to the appropriate board to view and refer. Check us our and follow our pin boards at http://pinterest.com/asubelklibrary/

An open lecture at Appalachian State University by Egyptologist Peter Lacovara will discuss the oldest Egyptian mummy in the Western Hemisphere. More than 4,000 years old, Emory University's Old Kingdom mummy, acquired from excavations at the sacred cemetery of Abydos in Middle Egypt in 1920, comes from the twilight of Egypt's Pyramid Age. After more than two years of study and conservation, the Old Kingdom mummy has now been exhibited to the public for the first time, restored to its original appearance.

The open lecture will shed light on ancient Egyptian rites and rituals regarding the afterlife, by chronicling the development of the burial site of Abydos and the cult of Osiris, with reference to the current excavations where the Old Kingdom mummy was found nearly a century ago.

Peter Lacovara is one of this country's foremost experts in Egyptology, and is Senior Curator of Ancient Art Collections at the Emory Carlos Museum in Atlanta. He has written and contributed to numerous books and publications on Egyptian art. His fieldwork includes site supervision and excavation at locations such as the Valley of the Kings at Thebes, the Sphinx/Isis Temple, and now at the palace of Amenhotep III at Thebes, where Lacovara is currently excavating. Since Lacovara came to the Carlos Museum, Emory has become one of the South's leading centers for ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern art. In 1999, Lacovara was the driving force behind the Carlos Museum's acquisition of a collection of ancient Egyptian mummies. Included in that collection was a mummy identified as Ramesses I, the patriarch of one of ancient Egypt's greatest dynasties. In 2003, when a delegation led by Lacovara returned the pharaoh to Egypt and residence at the Luxor Museum, the University earned the thanks of a grateful Egyptian nation. Currently, Lacovara is excavating at the palace of Amenhotep III at Thebes.

This Doorways session is organized by John Stephenson in the Art Department, and co-sponsored by the Belk Library Doorways series, General Education, the Office of the Dean of Applied and Visual Arts, and the Anthropology department. The Doorways series provides a platform for people to share their research and knowledge on international issues and build relationships on campus based on interest in international affairs. For more information on this program or the Doorways series, call 262-4967.

In celebration of National Library Week (April 8-14), Belk Library will be gathering input from students, faculty, and staff about what their favorite books are. We'll be gathering entries via a form on the library's website, and then posting them on one of the library's Pinterest boards. The book that is entered the most times will be added to all the library's Kindles, so that even more people can experience it!

Special Collections invites you to visit its new exhibit, “A New Look at Old Friends: An Exhibit of Vintage Series Books for Girls,” now on display in the 4th Floor atrium of Belk Library and Information Commons.

The exhibit features books from the Elaine J. O’Quinn Girls’ Studies Collection in Special Collections. On display are a variety of materials related to girls’ series books from the mid-1800s through the early 20th century. Featured series include Nancy Drew, Cherry Ames, Beverly Gray, and Elsie Dinsmore, among many others.

Each display case visually explores three interrelated approaches to girls’ series books. The first case, “Fans,” shows the marketing and fan following of girls’ series books. The second case, “Collectors,” displays a selection of collectible books and literature about collecting them. The final case, “Scholars,” highlights how girls’ series books are now being studied and shows related scholarly literature.

In addition to the exhibit, on April 19, 2012, the Elaine J. O’Quinn Girls’ Studies Collection will be dedicated and Dr. O’Quinn will give a lecture about her research on girls’ series books.

To learn more about the O’Quinn Collection, visit our webpage. The collection is available for use in the Dougherty Reading Room located in Special Collections, Room 432. The Dougherty Reading Room is open Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For more information, call 828-262-7974 or email spcoll@appstate.edu

Check out the new high-tech drink/water and snack machines located in the Library’s Atrium near Classroom 114 and the bus stop! These new machines offer greater selections of snacks (including some healthy alternatives), power drinks, chilled coffee drinks, juice, green tea and lifewaters. We hope to add more healthy snacks to the machines. Feel free to let us know what you would like to see in the snack machines. Check it out and happy snacking!